By Nicole Zakrzewski, Palm Harbor University High
And Angela Skane, St. Petersburg High

Concerts are far from glamorous. You are packed into a small space, usually without air conditioning, in a mob of sweaty people. We’ve paid our dues in the sweat and heat of many venues. Every event we attend, we watch girls stroll in like they are on the runway. We just want to scream at them “WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!” Sure, they look great, but this is Jannus Live, not a glamour shoot.
We see the dim light of fear in your eyes; you’re one of those girls with perfect tresses and high heels at a rock concert. Breathe easy; we have mastered the art of dressing for musical adventures, and we’re here to help.

DO NOT WEAR:
Heels: Unless you’re trying to be one of the girls who end up backstage, heels are more than unnecessary. Even if you are less than 5 feet tall, you shouldn’t wear heels. Aside from the strange looks you’ll be given, there is a huge chance you’ll fall on your face, and even your lead singer future husband won’t find that cute.

Skirts: We don’t think this needs an explanation.

Customized (read: homemade) shirts: There is never a right time to wear a Hanes T-shirt with Sharpie writing, and iron-on transfers aren’t much better. Plus, when will you ever wear that shirt again? Unless you’re an adorable 8-year-old, scrap this idea. Even if you are in love with a certain band member, keep it subtle instead of professing your adoration via fabric marker.

Jackets: It seems many concert venues scheme to make you buy more beverages by turning off the air conditioning. So if you are in an indoor space, leave your jacket at home. You certainly don’t want you to overheat, pass out and have be carried out by bouncers. Disregard this if you’re in an outdoor venue, since it always seems to rain when you favorite band comes to town.

Fancy hairstyles: This isn’t the prom, you are most likely going to be near mosh pits and, you hope, you’ll be dancing until your legs feel like gelatin. Throw unruly weather into the mix, and by the end of the night, the two hours you spent perfecting your lovely locks will be a complete waste of time. Just think, you could have spent those two hours working on how to meet the drummer of the band.

Large bags: Our downfall is bulky bags; we’re modern Mary Poppinses and always have an arsenal of useless things in our purses. Make sure to pack a small bag with just the bare necessities.

DO WEAR:
Close-toed shoes: In small venues with so many people, your chances of being trampled is close to 100 percent, and your feet will be crying the next day if you decide to wear those ah-dorable new sandals. This doesn’t mean you need to go out and purchase steel-toed boots, just something that will make your pedicure last a bit longer.

Practical shirts: Wear a shirt or blouse that you feel comfortable in, whether it’s your favorite band shirt or ruffled blouse, whatever you feel great and confident in. But be sure this isn’t your favorite shirt, because there is a chance that you will have some type of beverage spilled (or thrown) on you.

Deodorant: We’re pubescent teenagers. For the sake of everyone's nasal health, please wear deodorant.

*NOTE: Many of these rules do not apply to big-name band performances in fancy, big venues. If there’ll be a red carpet outside, go ahead, get all decked out. (Deodorant applies in ALL cases.)